Depending on your location, the water in your home either comes from groundwater or surface-water sources, such as lakes, rivers, or reservoirs. Surface-water sources are brought to the surface and travel through a system of pipes before they can reach your home. Although convenient, water from these sources is usually cool. This temperature isn’t appropriate to be used in your dishwasher, washing machine, and shower.
To ensure that the entire household enjoys hot or warm water whenever needed, more people are now investing in water heaters. This fixture works by bringing in cold water from a source and then heats it using electric elements. Through convection, the hot water will rise inside the tank and will be distributed in different areas of the home through pipes.
Although a water heater works as a simple appliance, every appliance has life and there will come a time when you will need to replace it. When you start noticing any of the signs listed below, it’s high time that you should have replaced:
4 Signs You Need a New Water Heater
01. It’s At Least 10 Years Old
The age of your water heater as well as quality of services it provides can determine if you need to hire professionals, such as Doherty Plumbing Fairfax, A.O Smith, Brandford White, etc. and have a new one installed. Generally, a high-quality water heater will last around eight to ten years. Although, you might need to replace it sooner if the entire household uses the fixture daily or perhaps you do not maintain it regularly.
Conversely, just because your water heater is still functioning even after a decade of use, it doesn’t mean that you should completely dismiss the idea of replacing it. Using your water heater longer than its lifespan can only lead to major risks. Prevention is always better than cure, so replacing your 10-year old water heater before it shows any symptoms of damage is the best way to go.
For you to learn how old your water heater is, check its serial number. This information is usually found on the upper part of the tank. However, don’t expect that the serial number will immediately give you the manufacturing date of the water heater; the serial number is actually composed of ten alphanumeric characters.
The first character of your water heater’s serial number is a letter that translates to a specific month of the year. Letter A means January, B is for February, and so on. This letter will be followed by numbers, and the first two will represent the year of when the water heater was manufactured.
For example, a serial number of B094561248 means that the water heater was manufactured in February 2009 and should be replaced on or before February 2019 (10 years after the manufactured date).
02. It Produces Brown or Rusty Water
Water is essential for every human being. Water is being used by your cells, organs, and tissues in order to maintain their bodily functions. It will be tough to survive a single day without drinking water. Thus, when your water heater starts to produce brown or rusty water, be wary. Water that has discolouration or rusty smell isn’t normal and, most importantly, isn’t safe to consume at all.
Even though your water heater is made from steel, it’s still susceptible to rust. Once corrosion affects one area of your water heater, it won’t be long before it will damage other spots of your water heater, as well. Rusty pipes can eventually result in a rusty valve or vice versa. Once any of this happens, your household will only have access to brown or rusty water.
Seeing brown or rusty water from any of your home’s faucet should signal you to have your water heater replaced as soon as possible. Regardless of where the rust is coming from, it will eventually eat all parts of your water heater.
Plus, rusty water can become the breeding ground of bacteria, so drinking from this source will only compromise your own and family’s health.
03. It’s Not Heating at All
What’s the point of having a water heater if it doesn’t produce hot or warm water, right? Keeping a fixture in your home that doesn’t serve its purpose will be useless. It will only consume valuable floor space, collect dust, and put all of your money down the drain.
One of the most obvious signs you need a new water heater is when you are convinced that it doesn’t serve its purpose anymore. A water heater that doesn’t provide the hot or warm water your family needs will only cause inconvenience and a lot of stress. It will be challenging to accomplish some of the most basic household chores if your water heater isn’t providing hot or warm water, too.
Without this benefit, it will also be challenging for you and your family members to take a shower during the winter months.
04. It’s Making Knocking Noises
Your water heater is composed of several components. These components are interdependent with each other and work as one unit in order to provide you and your family hot water.
Generally, a water heater that produces sound once turned on isn’t a cause for concern. Hearing this sound indicates that the motor of the water heater is already running. After a couple of minutes of turning it on, this noise will eventually go on its own. However, if your water heater produces knocking noises and continues to do so after turning it on for an hour, that’s another story.
Any knocking or popping noises usually mean that excessive sediment has built up at the bottom of the water heater. This happens because as you continue to use hot or warm water, magnesium and calcium particles from the water will settle at the bottom of the tank of your water heater. These sediments will create a layer inside your water heater and can become a barrier for the heating elements to reach the water.
Since the heating elements are contained in one area and can’t flow freely towards the water, this can result in overheating. Overheating can weaken the tank and can become the reason why your water heater will burst or leak.
You can prevent all of these from happening by calling professionals to have your water heater replaced. Any popping sounds created by your water heater should prompt you to immediately call contractors.
Hire the Pros
Once you have affirmed that your water heater needs replacement, start looking for professionals who are licensed and experienced in doing it. Continually using a damaged water heater can release carbon monoxide into your home and can even lead to explosions and property damage.
Conclusion
The sooner you pay contractors to have your water heater replaced, the sooner your family can enjoy warm or cold water again!
